The Attorney General’s office suspended the governor of Colombia’s north-eastern department of Norte de Santander for six months, reported the official departmental website Thursday.
The ruling on the governor Edgar de Jesus Contreras’ appeal means that the official will be barred from his role as councillor. 15 other officials who served as councillors in Cucuta in Norte de Santander since 2006 were also affected by the ruling. The former Mayor of Cucuta, Ramiro Suarez Corzo, was suspended from office for ten months.
The charges relate to the officials’ participation in the creation of the corporation, “Parks Coporation of Cacuta,” which was deemed not in the public interest. Up to $225 million was siphoned off from the public money in order to fund the project.
Contreras has released a statement saying that he respects the verdict which, due to being a second ruling on the case, cannot be appealed.